Golf course &#34;kaleidoscope&#34;

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to the field of sports and in particular to the construction of a sports and recreational facility in the form of a golf course. The essence of the invention lies in the fact that in the golf course where there is a traditional number of holes containing a set of deterministic elements—tees, greens, fairways and hazards, at least one tee is within the standard playing distance at least up to two greens, thereby forming new holes that create new routes for playing the course, corresponding to all established game standards. The technical result of the invention consists in the fact that in the presence of a traditional number of the same elements, it is possible to create different full-length routes on the golf course, which significantly increases the variability of the game and contributes to reducing the construction expenses.

The invention relates to the field of sports and in particular to the construction of a sports and recreational facility in the form of a golf course.

The design of a golf course, like any material object, can be characterized by a combination of deterministic constructive elements, i.e. their shape, dimensions, relative position, etc. The typical design of a golf course is a vast plot of land—from 20 to 100 hectares and more, which includes playing zones (holes), meeting certain standards, and in most cases not more than 18. Traditionally, the 18-hole golf course is divided into two parts of 9 holes each, which makes it possible to play by choice 18 holes or only 9. Each hole begins with a teeing area tee and ends with a green an area with the shortest grass, located within the standard playing distance from each other, whereon the actual hole is situated, i.e. depression (hole-depression), in which the ball rolls in to. The area of the greens is approximately from 600 to 650 square meters, although there are no accurate standards for their dimensions. Furthermore, the green is not a perfect flat area. Undulations, known as breaks, are created on purpose to allow deviations when rolling the ball. Although within the green there must be locations (about one meter in diameter) with limited undulations to allow for placement of hole-depression.

To determine the playing length of the hole, the conditional standard “par”, a number of strokes for which a golfer must complete the entire hole with a successful game, is used. The par is determined by the actual length from the tee to the green's center and by the game difficulty of each hole. The standards of the holes are determined by the handicap system in such a way that the par 3 hole should be less than 235 meters (257 yards) in length, the par 4 hole should be in the range from 220 to 450 meters (241 to 492 yards), the par 5 hole should be more than 415 meters (454 yards) in length. In addition to the actual length in the definition of the “par” standard, the game complexity of the hole is further taken into account: the relief, the presence of obstacles, the wind direction. Thus, a hole with an actual length of 430 meters (470 yards) can be classified as “par 4” or “par 5”, depending on the game complexity of the hole.

The sum of the pars of all holes is the total par of the course (usually equal to 70-72 for a standard course of 18 holes).

In addition to the tee and green, each hole has a fairway an area having grass of medium height, occupying most of the playing surface between the tee and the green. The fairway on either side is surrounded by higher grass known as rough or semi-rough that can significantly make the shot harder from this area. Various hazards, elements of the playing surface, specially built thereon, are located in different places within the holes and around them to challenge the game. Artificially created objects, for example, lakes, sand traps-bunkers, etc., as well as natural objects of the landscape, for example trees, bushes, hills, etc., can be used as hazards.

The typical design of the golf course does not include holes parallel to each other at a short range, especially if they are opposite, as the ball, hit from the tee of one hole, can hit players on the parallel hole. Intersection of two holes is not further allowed, because due to the presence of hazards, the players who are on the same hole cannot see the players playing on the intersecting hole. Such restrictions in the construction of the golf course are introduced based on the safety conditions of the players.

Traditional golf courses are designed and constructed in such a way that they have one predefined route, which is formalized in a so-called score card, which indicates the hole number, its length and its corresponding par.

Players start the game on hole number 1 and consistently move in accordance with the sequence number of holes to hole number 18 (on the course with 18 holes) [Complete Encyclopedia. Golf. Moscow. AST Astrel. 2015. p. 252-391 www.dk.com].

The main disadvantage of the typical design of the golf course is the predetermination of the routing, because after some time players who constantly play the course, regardless of the surrounding conditions, quite accurately know how to strike, where the ball will land and how to avoid one or another hazard. There is a lack of challenge to the course, which leads to a loss of its attractiveness for the player and the need to travel to other golf courses. For this reason, at each golf resort, as a rule, several golf courses are built, which significantly reduces the economic performance of the golf club (profitability) associated with the need to build and operate extra courses. The tendency for variability in the routes of golf courses is the dominant trend in the design and construction of the latter, which has been confirmed in a significant number of granted patents and registered applications in various countries, the most typical of which are introduced in the present description as a prior art and prototype.

It is known according to the U.S. Pat. No. 3,156,470, a golf course that consist of 9 holes, which feature is that each green has two tees and a fairway, characterized by varying playability. Thus, the 9-hole golf course has in fact 18 holes and two routes, i.e. it has low variability with significant construction expenses.

As a prototype of the present invention a technical solution according to the international application WO 2001026743 is chosen. The design of the golf course is patented, on which the traditional number of holes is located, i.e. 18 and a set of deterministic elements—tees, greens, fairways and hazards. The distinctive feature of the solution is that each one of the holes has several sets of tees located in different places and with different pars. Thus, the game from different tees introduces some variety, but in principle the route remains predetermined, i.e. the order of playing the holes and entering the greens is always the same. In addition, if each hole is provided with tee sets having pars from 3 to 5, then the area of the golf course and, as a consequence, the construction expenses significantly increase.

The object of the invention is to increase the number of golf course routes in the presence of the same set of elements thereon, and, ultimately, to increase the variability of the game.

The application task is achieved due to the fact that in a golf course on which there is a traditional number of holes containing a set of deterministic elements—tees, greens, fairways and hazards, at least one tee is within the standard playing distance of at least two greens, thereby forming new holes, creating new routes of playing the course, corresponding to all established game standards.

The technical result of the invention consists in the fact that in the presence of a traditional number of the same elements, it is possible to create different full-length routes on the golf course, which significantly increases the variability of the game and contributes to reducing the construction expenses.

In FIGS. 1, 2, 3 of the drawings attached to the description schematic images of the same 18-hole golf course with a traditional set of the same elements with three routes laid thereon are given.

As an example of implementation of the invention, a designed and constructed golf course in the Vsevolozhsk District of the Leningrad Region, Russia was chosen. The basic game route is shown in FIG. 1, where positions 1, 2, 3 . . . 18 represent the tee of the 18-hole course, and the corresponding greens are indicated by positions 1d, 2d, 3d . . . 18d. Herewith, the numbering of tees and greens on the rest golf courses shown in the drawings (FIG. 2 and FIG. 3) corresponds to their numbering in FIG. 1. According to the distinctive part of the Claims, where it is stated that “at least one tee is within the standard playing distance at least up to two greens”, in the claimed subject matter the number of such tees is more than one, and this allows to increase the number of game routes, in particular, up to three, which are shown in the drawings as solid bold lines indicating the number of the corresponding route as a figure enclosed in a circle. The principle of one tee, within the standard distance up to two greens, extends to all tees of the described golf course. This circumstance, in principle, allows to increase the number of routes more than three, i.e. the numbers of routes shown in the drawings. A conditional image of each one of the three game routes in the sequence of their routing is introduced below.

Route 1 (FIG. 1): 1-1g, 2-2g, 3-3g, 4-4g, 5-5g, 6-6g, 7-7g, 8-8g, 9-9g, 10-10g, 11-11g, 12-12g, 13-13g, 14-14g, 15-15g, 16-16g, 17-17g, 18-18g.

A golf course score card corresponding to route 1.

Hole number Hole length, m (yards) Par 1 412 (451) 4 2 532 (582) 5 3 427 (467) 4 4 219 (240) 3 5 526 (575) 5 6 410 (448) 4 7 175 (191) 3 8 365 (399) 4 9 434 (475) 4 Out 3500 (3828) 36 10 510 (558) 5 11 394 (431) 4 12 175 (191) 3 13 501 (548) 5 14 352 (385) 4 15 552 (604) 5 16 338 (370) 4 17 163 (178) 3 18 405 (443) 4 In 3390 (3707) 37 Total: 6890 (7535) 73

Route 2 (FIG. 2): 10-8g, 9-7g, 8-6g, 7-5g, 6-4g, 4-3g, 4-2g, 3-1g, 2-9g, 10-11g, 12-10g, 11-12g, 12-13g, 14-12g, 13-17g, 17-15g, 16-14g, 15-18g.

A golf course score card corresponding to route 2.

Hole number Hole length, m (yards) Par 1 405 (443) 4 2 275 (301) 4 3 370 (405) 4 4 492 (538) 5 5 422 (462) 4 6 142 (155) 3 7 500 (547) 5 8 432 (472) 4 9 280 (306) 4 Out 3318 (3629) 37 10 156 (171) 3 11 418 (457) 4 12 482 (527) 5 13 324 (354) 4 14 380 (416) 4 15 426 (466) 4 16 419 (458) 4 17 550 (601) 5 18 149 (163) 3 In 3304 (3613) 36 Total: 6622 (7242) 73

Route 3 (FIG. 3): 10-4g, 5-8g, 9-7g, 8-6g, 7-5g, 6-4g, 4-2g, 3-1g, 2 9g, 10-11g, 12-10g, 11-12g, 13-14g, 13-16g, 15-14g, 15-13g, 14-12g, 15-18g.

A golf course score card corresponding to route 3.

Hole number Hole length, m (yards) Par 1 400 (437) 4 2 135 (148) 3 3 282 (308) 4 4 352 (385) 4 5 425 (465) 4 6 454 (497) 5 7 500 (547) 5 8 432 (472) 4 9 280 (306) 4 Out 3260 (3565) 37 10 160( 175) 3 11 418 (457) 4 12 480 (525) 5 13 128 (140) 3 14 384 (420) 4 15 376 (411) 4 16 415 (454) 4 17 158 (173) 3 18 150 (164) 3 In 2669 (2919) 33 Total: 5929 (6484) 70

It should be noted that the tee is an intentionally constructed teeing area, with which the game begins in each playing zone. There can be several starting positions on the site. An example is tee, indicated by number 15, where there are three starting positions, or tee 10—with two starting positions. 

1. A golf course comprising a traditional number of holes containing a set of deterministic elements tees, greens, fairways and hazards, characterized in that at least one tee is within the standard playing distance (i.e. a par 3, par 4, or par 5 playing distance) of at least two greens, thereby and due to location and shaping of other deterministic elements (as relevant) forming new holes that create new routes for playing the golf course, corresponding to all established standards of professional and non-professional (amateur) golf as a regulated sport, wherein the quantity of tees coincides with the quantity of greens.
 2. The golf course of claim 1, comprising: a first pre-defined golf course route (i.e. a course having a specific score card) comprising a first set of playing zones (holes), each playing zone of the first set comprising a specific set of deterministic elements, including: a tee area; a green comprising a hole therein; optionally, a fairway extending from the teeing area to the green; optionally, a rough extending along at least a portion of an edge of the fairway; and optionally, one or more hazards positioned along the fairway, the hazard being a lake, a trap, a bunker, a bush, a tree, a hill, etc.; a second pre-defined golf course route (i.e. a course having a specific score card) comprising a second set of playing zones (holes), each playing zone of the second set comprising a specific set of deterministic elements, including: a tee area; a green comprising a hole therein; optionally, a fairway extending from the teeing area to the green; optionally, a rough extending along at least a portion of an edge of the fairway; and optionally, one or more hazards positioned along the fairway, the hazard being a lake, a trap, a bunker, a tree, a bush, a hill, etc.; and if relevant, any further pre-defined golf course routes (i.e. courses having their specific score cards) comprising further sets of playing zones (holes), each playing zone of such sets comprising a specific set of deterministic elements: a tee area; a green comprising a hole therein; optionally, a fairway extending from the teeing area to the green; optionally, a rough extending along at least a portion of an edge of the fairway; and optionally, one or more hazards positioned along the fairway, the hazard being a lake, a trap, a bunker, a tree, a bush, a hill, etc.; wherein the distance between at least one tee area and at least two greens is within a par 3, par 4, or par 5 playing distance, wherein each of such pre-defined golf course routes is different from each of the other pre-defined golf course routes, wherein only one of the pre-defined golf course routes is playable at any one time; wherein each of the pre-defined golf-course routes is playable without alteration of the golf course or any element thereof; and each of specific sets of deterministic elements, including, tea areas, greens and, as relevant, other elements, being fairways, roughs and hazards, comprises relevant deterministic elements pre-designed and developed on the golf course in question; wherein, for the avoidance of doubt, the quantity of tee areas coincides with the quantity of greens; and the total number of tee areas is equal to the total number of greens and is equal to the number of playing zones (holes) on the golf course in question (i.e. there are nine tees areas and nine greens for a nine holes golf course, eighteen tees areas and greens for an eighteen holes golf course, etc.).
 3. The golf course of claim 1, wherein the distance between at least one tee area and three or four or more greens is within a par 3, par 4, or par 5 playing distance.
 4. The golf course of claim 2, further comprising: a third pre-defined golf course route (i.e. a course having a specific score card) comprising a third set of playing zones (holes), each playing zone of the third set comprising a specific set of deterministic elements, including: a tee area; a green comprising a hole therein; optionally, a fairway extending from the teeing area to the green; optionally, a rough extending along at least a portion of an edge of the fairway; and optionally, one or more hazards positioned along the fairway, the hazard being a lake, a trap, a bunker, a tree, a bush, a hill, etc.; and if relevant, any further pre-defined golf course routes (i.e. courses having their specific score cards) comprising further sets of playing zones (holes), each playing zone of such sets comprising a specific set of deterministic elements: a tee area; a green comprising a hole therein; optionally, a fairway extending from the teeing area to the green; optionally, a rough extending along at least a portion of an edge of the fairway; and optionally, one or more hazards positioned along the fairway, the hazard being a lake, a trap, a bunker, a tree, a bush, a hill, etc., wherein the distance between each tee area and at least two greens is within a par 3, par 4, or par 5 playing distance, wherein each of such pre-defined golf course routes is different from each of the other pre-defined golf course routes. 